Municipality of Strasbourg supports activists on hunger strike

Deputy mayor said that the Strasbourg municipality will bring the hunger strikers’ demands to the Council of Europe Human Rights Commission.

ANF

STRASBOURG

Friday, 15 Mar 2019, 08:45

The 14 Kurdish activists in Strasbourg have joined the hunger strike resistance led by Leyla Güven who began fasting on 7 November 2018 demanding the end of the isolation policy carried out by the AKP-MHP fascist alliance against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The activists on hunger strike in Strasbourg are members of the Freedom for Öcalan Initiative and they are determined to continue their action until isolation is lifted.

On their 88th day of hunger strike, activists were visited by Françoise Bey, deputy mayor of the Municipality of Strasbourg and chairperson of the Women-Men Equality Committee.

Ike said that isolation does not only affect the Kurdish people but all forces of democracy in Turkey, women, academics, and targets all segments of the opposition to the AKP regime.

Ike said that the city of Strasbourg is where the hunger strike is taking place and therefore the Municipality would have a direct interest should negative developments occurr.

Ike stressed that democracy is the need of everyone and asked for the hunger strike action to be supported.

She added that on Wednesday the European Parliament report on Turkey underlined the human rights problems present in the country.

Ike reminded that the hunger strike resistance is led by HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven and that currently hundreds of people are fasting. She emphasized that the support of this action by the Municipality of Strasbourg would give a stronger voice to the action and prevent death.

Deputy mayor: We stand beside the activists

Deputy mayor Françoise Bey apologised to the hunger strikers “for being late in the visit" and added: "We know that democracy is everyone’s need.”

Pointing out that in France democracy is now being damaged, Bey added that these actions are for democracy and emphasized that the municipality stands beside the activists and their struggle.

Hunger strikers’ demands to be brought to Council of Europe

The Deputy Mayor confirmed that after this visit she would raise the issue with mayor Roland Ries at the first meeting of the Council.

Bey said that the municipality of Strasbourg will bring the demands of hunger strikers to the Council of Europe Human Rights Commission.